Switch arrangement



Sept. 21, 1948. o. J. ALVAREZ ET AL SWITCH ARRANGEMENT INVENTORJ Patented Sept. 21, 1948 2,449,799 SWITGH"ARRANGEMENT.

Octavio-Josdlvarez and Ertogroul. Osman, New

York, N. Y., assignors of one-half to Alvarez} Patent Corporation and one-half Osman, both ofNew York, N. Y.

to Eiftogroul Application September 18, 1946, Serial'No... 69%,,685

6 casts.

Our present-invention relates to switches. and

more particularly to timing switches adapted to be attached to alarm clocks-.,

It is an object of our present invention tov provide a switch of simple. construction, which can be easily attached to. the, winding knob of. an alarm clock so that the same closes the switch at a certain predetermined time.

It is another. object ofour present. invention to provide a switch constructed so. as to. be adaptedl'to be actuatedby rotation of .amember to which. the-switch. is attached.

It is a further object of. our present invention to provide a timing switch which can be closed, but. not opened, by movement of an alarm clock.

With the above objects in view our present invention mainly consists of a switch arrangement comprising in combination switch means including. two terminals and a. switch member adapted to make contact between these terminals when the switch meansare. in contact making position and to break this contact when. the switch means are in contact breaking. position, actuating means adapted to support above switch means in. both,

above defined positions, and motion transmitting means forming part. of th'eactu'ating means and the switch means; these motion transmitting means are constructed so transmit motion impulses means to the switch means only when the switch means are supported b the actuating means" in the above defined contact'breaking' position.

Thus, the switch means can be moved-from contact breaking into contact making position by the actuating means when the switch means; are in contact breaking'position.

However, as set forth above, the motion transmitting means are so constructed that they-- are not adapted to transmit motion impulses from the actuating means to the switch means when the same are supported by th actuating-means in the above defined-contact making position. Thus, operation of the actuating means cannot influence the switch means when they are in' contact making position and the same can there-- fore not be moved by the actuatingmeansf-rom contact making into contact breaking position.

Inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of our present invention the actuating means are constructed so as to turnably support theswitch means. Thus, if the switch means are supported by the; turnable actuating means" in contact breaking position, turning'of' the actuatingmeans-will result in turning of the switch;

means'into contact makingp'osition and closing of the same. However, if the switch means are: supported by the actuating means" in contact as to. be adapted to. from the. actuating making position, turning of the actuatingmeans, will not influence the switch means and the same will stay in contact making position and not re-. turn into contact. breaking position.

The motion transmitting means mentioned above are preferably composed of first motion. transmitting means forming part of the above mentioned actuating means, and secondmotion transmitting. means forming part. ofv the above mentioned switch means andengaging, the first motion transmitting means only when the switch m ans. are supported by the actuating means, in contact breaking position.

Motion transmitting means of various, typev maybe used for the purposes of our present ins vention: Thus, we havefound that. good results.

can be obtained by combining with the actuating means an actuating shaft member carrying a gear member, preferably a pinion.. The secondmotion transmitting means forming part ofthe switch are preferably gear means combined with the switch and constructed so as to engage the pinion only when the switch is in contact breaking position. Preferably, the pinion mentioned above serves not only as motion transmitting member but also. supports theentire switch asv will be described farther below in detail.

We have found-it, advisable to use as switch means in theswitch arrangement proposed by us a mercury switch including two terminalsj and a drop of mercury; this mercury switch is constructed so that the dropofmercur-y makescontact between the two terminals of the, switch if the. switch is in contact making position and is out of Contact and spaced from these terminals,

thusbreaking the contact between the same,

when; the switch is in contact breaking position.

Preferably; aswitch embodied in the arrangement proposed by "us is constructed so that it objects and advantages thereof, will be. best understood. from. the following description of specific embodiments when, read. in connection with the'accompanying drawing,- in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section throu h a switch arrangement according to our present invention,

along line |--l of Fig. 5;

Fig. 2 is "a cross' section through" a switcher,-

The invention".

rangement according to our present invention, along line 2-2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the switch shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the switch arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in contact breaking position;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the switch arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in contact making position; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a switch arrangement according to my present invention in combination with a spring operated alarm clock.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, our new switch arrangement comprises as main elements a mercury switch I0, actuating means ll, and motion transmitting means [2.

The mercury switch H] itself is of substantially conventional type, i. e. it comprises a switch housing I3, a container 1 4 arranged in this switch housing, two conductor wires and '16 leading into the switch housing and connected with the terminals H and IS in the container 14, and a drop of mercury is adapted to make contact between the two terminals H and I 3 when the switch is in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The actuating means i include a clamp member 26 combined with a spring 2! permanently tending to close this clamp member.

The motion transmitting means l2 include a shaft member 22 which is secured to the clamp member as shown, a pinion 23 arranged on this shaft member 22 and an opening 24 provided in the extension 25 of the switch housing 13. This opening 24 is elongated as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and provided at one end with a screw threaded surface portion 25 while the remaining surface portion 2'! of the opening is smooth.

In order to prevent unintentional slipping off of switch ill from the supporting pinion 23, we provide at the outer end 28 of the shaft member 22 a small circular plate 29 secured to the shaft by means of the screw 39. This plate 29 has to be arranged so as to enable free turning of the switch ii about shaft 22 and pinion 23 preventing however unintentional slipping off of the same.

As set forth above, our new switch arrangement is shown in Fig. 1 in contact making position in which the teeth of pinion 23 en e t e smooth surface portion 2'! of the opening 24.

In order to move the switch arrangement into contact breaking position, the same is turned from the contact making position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, about 180 into the contact breaking position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In this contact breaking position the teeth of the screw threaded surface portion 26 of the opening 24 engage the teeth of pinion 23 and are supported by the same. Furthermore, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, in this contact breaking position the mercury drop I?! is spaced from the terminals l1 and 18, so that the contact between the same is broken.

As mentioned above, our new switch arrangement can very well be used as timing switch in combination with a spring ope-rated alarm clock. In such event, the clamp is secured as shown in Fig. 6 to the alarm. winding knob 3| of the alarm clock 32 which knob, as well known, starts to turn the moment the alarm mechanism of the clock starts to operate.

,Our new switch arrangement is operated as follows:

After winding of the alarm winding knob 3| of the alarm clock 32, the clamp 20 is attached thereto as shown in Fig. 6.

Then the switch I0 is turned by hand into the contact breaking position shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 6. In this position, the teeth of the screw threaded surface portion 26 of the opening 24 in switch l0 engage the teeth of pinion 23 so that the switch I0 is unturnably held by the pinion 23 in contact breaking position.

At the moment when operation of the alarm mechanism of the clock 32 starts, the alarm winding knob 32 starts to turn by itself, e. g. in direction of arrow 33. Such turning of the winding knob 3| causes turning of the clamp 28 and the pinion 23 secured thereto.

During such turning of the pinion 23 the pinion teeth engage the gear teeth covering the screw threaded surface portion 26 of the opening 24 in switch ID, and cause thereby turning of the entire switch in the same direction. The turning influence of pinion 23 upon switch H3 is, however, effective only so long as the teeth of the pinion 23 are in mesh with the teeth of the screw threaded surface portion 26: as soon as these teeth become disengaged, turning of pinion 23 will not further influence the switch 10 and the position of the same will remain unchanged despite further turning movement of the pinion.

It is evident that dru'ing turning of the pinion 23 its teeth will be in mesh with the teeth of the screw threaded surface portion 26 only for a limited time, i. e. only until the switch reaches during turning a position in which the smooth surface portion 27 of the opening 24 faces the pinion. At this moment, the entire switch will turn by its own weight into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5; as explained above, in this position the mercury drop 19 in the switch in will close the contact between the terminals I1 and I8 and the switch will be in the contact making position defined above.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5, in this contact making position, the teeth of the pinion 23 face the smooth surface portion 21 of opening 24, and thus the pinion is unable-after the contact making position of the switch shown in Figs. 1 and 5 is reached-to further influence the position of the switch, i. e. to further turn the same from the reached contact making position back into the initial contact breaking position: despite further turning of the Winding knob 3|, the clamp 26 and the pinion 23, the switch It will stay in the contact making position shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

We wish to stress that a timing arrangement of the above described type has particularly great advantages in combination with spring operated clocks as it is extremely simple to attach the entire switch arrangement to a lClOQk and remove it without any interference with the clock mechanism itself.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or 'more together, may also find a useful application in other types of switch arrangements differing from the type described above.

While we have illustrated and described the invention as embodied in timing switch arrangements for spring operated alarm clocks, we do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of my invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A switch comprising switch means including two terminals and a switch member adapted to make contact between said terminals when said switch means are in contact making position and to break said contact when said switch means are in contact breaking position; actuating means including a clamp member adapted to be attached to operating means and a shaft member connected to said clamp member and adapted to support said switch means in both said positions; and motion transmitting means interposed between said shaft member and said switch means and constructed so as to be adapted to transmit motion impulses from said shaft member to said switch means only when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact breaking position but not when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact making position.

2. A switch comprising switch means including two terminals and a switch member adapted to make contact between said terminals when said switch means are in contact making position and to break said contact when said switch means are in contact breaking position; actuating means including a clamp member adapted to be attached to operating means and a shaft member connected to said clamp member and adapted to turnably support said switch means; and motion transmitting means including a first motion transmitting element mounted on said shaft member, and a second motion transmitting element forming part of said switch means and engaging said first motion transmitting element only when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact breaking position and not when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact making position.

-3. A switch comprisin switch means including two terminals and a switch member adapted to make contact between said terminals when said switch means are in contact making position and to break said contact when said switch means are in contact breaking position; actuating means including a clamp member adapted to be attached to operating means and a shaft member connected to said clamp member and adapted to turnably support said switch means; and gear means interposed between said shaft member and said switch means and constructed so as to be adapted to transmit motion impulses from said shaft member to said switch means only when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact breaking position but not when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact making position.

4. A switch comprising switch means including two terminals and a switch member adapted to make contact between said terminals when said switch means are in contact making position and to break said contact when said switch means are in contact breaking position; actuating means including a clamp member adapted to be attached to operating means and a shaft member connected to said clamp member and adapted to turnably support said switch means; a pinion mounted on said shaft member; and gear means forming part of said switch means and engaging said pinion only when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact breaking position and not when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact making position.

5. A switch arrangement comprising switch means including two terminals and a switch. member adapted to make contact between said terminals when said switch means are in contact making position and to break said contact when said switch means are in contact breaking position turned about from said contact making position; actuating means including a clamp member adapted to be attached to operating means and a shaft member connected to said clamp member and adapted to turnably support said switch means; a pinion mounted on said shaft member; and gear means forming part of said switch means and engaging said pinion only when said switch means are supported by said shaft member in said contact breakin position and not when said switch means are turned about 180 from said contact breaking position into said contact making position and supported in such contact making position by said shaft member.

6. A switch arrangement comprising switch means including two terminals and a switch member adapted to make contact between said. terminals when said switch means are in contact making position and to break said contact when said switch means are in contact breaking position turned about 180 from said contact making position; actuating means including a clamp member adapted to be attached to operating means and a shaft member connected to said clamp member and-adapted to turnably support said switch means; a pinion mounted on said shaft member and adapted to support said switch means; and gear means forming part of said switch means and operatively engagin said pinion only when said switch means are supported by said pinion in said contact breaking position and not when said switch means are turned about 180 from said contact breaking position into said contact makin position and supported in such contact making position by said pinion.

OCTAVIO JOSE ALVAREZ. ERTOGROUL OSMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 898,847 Dodson Sept. 15, 1908 1,484,502 James Feb. 19, 1924 1,851,227 Whittingham Mar. 29, 1932 1,907,639 Young May 9, 1933 2,133,908 Swanson Oct. 18, 1938 2,337,515 Williams Dec. 21, 19 13 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 47,830 France Apr. 20, 1937 (2nd ed. to No. 800,557)

653,280 France Nov. 8, 1928 

